Anxiety Disorders
by furturtle
Summary: This is a short story I wrote for my research class. I don't have any type of anxiety disorder so for give me if you feel its the wrong portrail. Feel free to leave a review if you feel I gave the wrong portail. I got an A- on this assignment so I hope you like it. My heart goes out to anyong reading thing with anxiety disorder or any mental illness. Enjoy and review.


"Hello I'm Wendy Reynolds, I'm 17 years old and i've just been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by excessive or disproportionate anxiety about several aspects of life, such as work, social relationships, or financial matters. Doctors say it's because of the Hypothalamus and the Amygdala , the parts of the brain that control emotions, they say it is because of stress or a stressful event. And of course I'm stressed, my parents are threatening to divorce for two years where I end up being the mediator, school and college stuff, and I'm almost 18 meaning I'm almost considered an adult. What don't I have to be stressed doctors had given me medication but had said eating healthy, exercising, and doing the headspace program, so I can become less dependant on the medication. Headspace is an online program that exercise your brain as its said to help. Even though I know I'm not the only one with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I still feel alone, and thats scary thought in itself." I hit send. What if I get a terrible comment. What if no one ever responds. Why did I ever post that. I stare at my computer ... waiting.

I hear the notification ding. "Have you read the blog 'Were All Mad Here' written by Claire Eastham, she is a 28 year old that is going through the same thing as you're going through. I especially like her analogy of the Flight or Fight response, calling it the 'Flight, Fight, or Freeze response' and showed it using a cave man and a lion." The name read Daniel Hall. The notification rang again. "Hello, I didn't introduce myself properly, my name is Daniel Hall, I just turn 18 and I've had OCD for two and a half years now. OCD or Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions). Visually you can see it as someone trying to organize a book shelf all the books have to be organized by color then by size and then by authors last name alphabetically. You have all of them separated by color then by size but when you get to alphabetical order it the screws up the order in them arranged by size. This then becomes an obsession where you can do nothing else until the bookshelf is done." That is scary, it would be so hard to live.

"Oh I'm sorry that sounds really terrible" I replied.

"Ya, its getting better but it still a struggle" He said. What do I say, I don't how to respond respond to him. The notification rang again. Thank You. "Do you live in Cleveland, Ohio too? Maybe we can hang out some time." He said. I smiled and replied "Yes that sounds great." "Okay how about the mall, tomorrow" he replied.

The next day we both agreed to meet in front of the mall entrance at 2 o'clock. It was 2:35, Where is he, I'm the only one waiting outside. What if he's not coming. A tall man with dark brown hair and cool blue eyes walked up to me. "Hello, are you Wendy Reynolds." The man asked. "Yes" I said gripping the bench, how does he know my name, if he's not Daniel Hall I could be in serious trouble. "Hi, I'm Daniel Hall, we spoke yesterday. Sorry I'm late I had another bookshelf like issue that I had to that care of that made me late. So, shall we walk" He said with a smile.

Inside we just walked and talked much like we did yesterday. We had gotten up to the second floor and saw a girl clutching to the edge of the railing looking down, practically frozen. "Excuse me ma'am, are you alright" Daniel said pulling her from the edge. She didn't respond. "Hello" I said. She finally came to. "Huh, oh hello where am I?"she said. "Your at the mall" Daniel answered. "Right, now I remember. I was coming to a huge crowd of people and my Agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like shopping malls, kicked in the only way I could get around it was to go around getting close the the railing and my Acrophobia, the fear of heights, kicked in. And I froze. I'm sorry I'm Hannah White I'm 16 years old and I've had a list of phobias that just keep getting longer that one day I'm just going to end up with Panophobia, the fear of are an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something." she said.

"Well that's all right I have OCD, and she has Generalized Anxiety Disorder" Daniel said pointing to me "Come on let's all go get something to eat" and we all became great friends over lunch.

One day, my parents had a huge argument leaving them sleeping in separate rooms, I had major report due the next day for my English class, I just felt like everything was falling apart. Its not good for my heart to be racing this fast, I think I'm going to faint all I could spell out is HELP and hit send to Daniel and Hannah. I just start running, I run even though I'm already out of breath. I run into the wood and sit behind tree. I sit hugging my knees crying. I sit there for hours. I heard voices.

"I hate the woods" she said, it was Hannah.

"Why?" He said, it was Daniel.

"I have Hylophobia the fear of forests, main the things in the forest' Hannah answered.

"Then just think about finding Wendy" Daniel suggested.

I got up. "Over here" I said with a sniffle.

"Are you alright, we got your message" Daniel said.

"You had a Panic Attack didn't you, I have them all the time I see it in you face." Hanna said

"I just feel so alone, I mean I have you guys but I have no one with Generalized Anxiety Disorder like me to talk to. " I said

"Wendy, I know what you mean and I know what you're going through, both me and Hannah are here for you."Daniel said.

Science then I've been doing a lot better. I don't have panic attacks often and now I know how to keep them under control. It helps to know that family and friends are supporting you. I have learned to look at my stresses and worries in new ways, I've learned different relaxation techniques, and different ways to keep claim.

.


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